Hi - this is Srinivasan Sampathkumar from Triplicane. I have a passion for Marine Insurance, Cricket and of course Temples especially Thiruvallikkeni.
From Sept 2009, I am posting my thoughts in this blog ; From July 2010, my postings on Temples & Tamil are on my other blog titled "Kairavini Karayinile " (www.tamil.sampspeak.in)
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Tuesday, January 3, 2017

There is an interesting legend associated with this place
– one of valour ~ that several dogs chased a hare, which had to run for its
life. However, suddenly, the hare stopped, turned back and in a daring
incident, gave the hounds a chase. The hero of folklore – Kattabomman – was
stunned by this event, thought of the mystic powers of the place to
inspire its people to lead a brave life decided to build the fort in this very
same area and named it Panchalankuruchi, after his grand father Panchalan. 3rd Jan marks 256th birth
anniversary of Veerapandia Kattabomman.

Panchalankurichi situated closer to Ottapidaram, the
birth place of VO Chidambaranar and less then 20 km from Tuticorin, is a
small village but has history associated with it. Veerapandiya
Kattabomman lived in the 18th century, was a Palayakkarar; a local chieftain,
hailed to be one of the earliest to oppose British rule. Bomman refused to
accept the soverignity of East India Company; history has it that he was hanged
at Kayatharu in Tirunelveli District in 1799. His brother Umai Thurai was
also caught, but could escape and returned to fight the British, though
eventually he was also hanged. In subsequent years, great deal of
legend and folklore came to be associated with Kattabomman, Marudu brothers and
the place of his execution became place of attendance. Folk songs
recalling the heroism of the bommu leaders remain alive in Tamilnadu. The
popular Tamil slang for a traitor or committing treason ‘Ettappan’
originated from a person by name Ettappan who was instrumental in the
arrest of Kattabomman.

Kattabomman, a Nayakar was born in 1760 rose to become
the King of Panchalankurichi and hanged in 1799. The meeting of Bomman
with Jackson representing British is legendary, more because of a
film which is ranked high in Tamil tinseldom.

Those of us, no great followers of Cinema would have had
a feeling that it was perhaps some hype about a local chieftain .. .. .. ..
remember, whatever we read as Indian history is that written by Britishers, at
time their version of what they saw and at times what they wanted the Nation to
be ! -
here is something excerpted from a book published at Government Press in 1879.

Tinnevelly may be considered as an epitome, or facsimile
on a miniature scale, of the whole Madras Presidency, almost every feature of
which is repeated on a smaller scale within this little area. In the last
century (reference to 1700s) the plains of Tinnevelly are represented as
covered with woods and jungle ; these have disappeared with the advance of
agriculture to so great an extent, that beyond avenues on the main roads…… the village system of India is one of the
most remarkable features of Indian civilization. Grenerally the civilization of
the Hindus is inferior to our own, but in some particulars it is in advance of
ours ; and one which it claims the advantage is the fact that every Hindu
village is an organized municipality. The greater number of English towns and
all English villages are mere collections of houses without any bond of
connexion or corporate life, without rulers, without office-bearers, and without
any organization for the preservation or advancement of the common interests. In
India, on the contrary, every village of any respectability is an
incorporation. It has its council of headmen, its rights of jurisdiction, its revenues,
and its meetings for the transaction of public business. The municipality
ordinarily makes itself responsible for the settlement of disputed claims by
arbitration, for the punishment of petty offences, and for the preservation of
the peace.

There have been many rulers in this part of land, around
the 15th century it was Pandyan dynasty, then Nayakas, as the Vijayanagara Telugus were called. Madura
was fortified Nayakas; the constitution of the Poligars, ancestors of present Zemindars of Tinnevelly and Madura, is
assigned by tradition to Visvanatha Nayaka, and was by far the most important political
event of the time. The rulers of Nayaka
race are enumerated by Nelson in his Manual of Madura as having borne sway over
Madura and Tinnevelly between 1559 and 1736.
There was Thirumala Naika engaged in exhausting wars. Then came Queen regent Mangammal (from 1689 to 1704),
who ruled as regent during the minority of her grandson.

The regions were to witness wars and bloodshed. In 1755, at the request of the Nawab a force
of 500 Europeans and 2,000 sepoys was ordered to proceed to the countries of
Madura and Tinnevelly. The whole force was commanded by Colonel Heron. The renters, both of the capital and of the open
country, acknowledged the Nawab without hesitation, but many of the neighbouring
Poligars made pretences to evade the payment of tribute due, The most considerable of these was Kattaboma Nayakan,
Poligar of Panjalamkurichi, near the present town of Ootapidaram. An expedition
was sent to reduce him, but had to be recalled as the whole force was obliged
to return to Trichinopoly. On the way back a Poligar fort at Nelikotah is said
to have been stormed and taken, and almost all tho garrison put to the sword in
the heat of the attack.

While returning, Colonel Heron was induced to turn aside
and attack the fort of Nellitangaville, now Nikkatansewal, a small estate, but
held by a chief known as the Puli Devar, whose influence over all the western
Poligars was great, and who gave the English much trouble. For want of cannon
and of supplies and pay, the attack had to be abandoned. Colonel Heron, who had
himself accepted large presents, was recalled to Madras, tried by court-martial,
and dismissed !

Years later, British by means of cessions of territory, persuaded
the Poligar of Ettiapuram and Kattaboma Nayakan of Panjalamkurichi to assist
him, and a great battle was fought about seven miles north of Tinnevelly, where
the Puli Devar and his allies were completely defeated and fled each to his
stronghold. Encouraged by the Dutch, who
were at this time in possession of Colonel Colombo and Tuticorin, and with whom
Kattaboma Nayaka had made a treaty, all the Poligars of Tinnevelly were now in
rebellion, in 1783, ravaging the Grovernment
lands as well as fighting one with another. Colonel Fidlarton, to whom the
command of the expedition was entrusted, determined to strike a sudden blow,
and marched over seventy miles, from Shivaganga to Panjalamkurichi, the fort of
Kattaboma Nayaka.

The book also records that Kattaboma Nayaka of
Panjalamkurichi, when

summoned to attend the cutcherry of Mr. Jackson,
Collector in 1798, had rushed out on pretence of alarm, and is believed with
his own hand to have stabbed Lieutenant Clarke, who was on guard outside. He
and the other Poligars paid no attention to orders received from Mr. Jackson
and Mr. Lushington, who succeeded to the office of Collector in 1798 ; but
employed themselves in committing depredations and disturbing the tranquillity
of the country by murdering the peaceable inhabitants. Their mutinous conduct
was passed over by the Government until the fall of Seringapatam in 1799 set
free sufficient troops to make sure of success. An expedition was then
organized and placed under the command of Major Bannerman, and the first
Poligar war, as it is called, followed.

The campaign lasted but two months, in 1799.
Later Major Bannerman arrived at Panjalamkurichi, tried to storm the
fort but was unsuccessful. The Poligar
did not wait for a renewal of the attack, but evacuated the fort with all his
party. In another war, Kattaboma escaped
first to Shivaganga and then to the Tondiman. Tliirty-four of his Political principal
adherents, especially his principal manager Suibramania Pillai, were however
taken, and hanged. Sundara Pandya
Nayaka, brother of the Poligar of Nagalapuram, who had headed a plundering and
murdering expedition into Ramnad, was also hanged. Kattaboma Nayaka himself
captured by the Tondiman Rajah, was sent to Major Banneraian, by whom he was tried
by court martial and hanged at Kaitar in
presence of the Poligars of Tinnevolly assembled for the purpose.

After the execution of Bommu and his dumb brother, the
fort of Panjalamkurichi was razed to the ground, the site ploughed over and
cultivated. Thus ended the second and
last Poligar war.